Lacing-eyelet.



PATENTED NOV. 21, 1905.

J. A. MORRISON. LAGING EYELET. APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 1, 1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. MORRISON, OF UPPER MACEDON, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO DAVID GIBB AND WILLIAM GIBB, OF

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA.

LAClNG-EYELET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1905.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN ANDREW MORRI- SON, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, &c., residing at Upper Macedon, in the State of Victoria, Commonwealth of Australia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lacing-Eyelets; and I do herebydeclare the followingto bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of this invention is to provide such improvements in lacing-eyelets that they shall be more suitable for use with flat laces than the eyelets hitherto employed. Eyelets are commonly employed with flatlaces for fastening boots, shoes, and garments, as well as belting, &c. It is found extremely difficult in practice to preserve aneat appearance with flat laces and ordinary eyelets, because the laces get twisted and becomelumpy where a thinness and smoothness are desirable.- The twisting and lumpiness tend to destroy the laces and sometimes to hurt the foot or be otherwise unsatisfactory in results. With these improved eyelets and reasonably-careful lacing twisting cannot occur, and lacing and unlacing can be done rapidly notwithstanding. Ordinary eyelets are somewhat apt to pull out under considerable strain; but these improved eyelets do not possess that disadvantage, because their shouldered shape, hereinafter described, facilitates a very firm grip of the material in which the eyelet is inserted.

To more fully understand the-invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, illustrating the same, in which- Figure 1 is a fragmentary view showing the invention applied to the upper of a boot or shoe. Fig. 2 is a detail plan view of the eyelet. Fig. 3 is a similar view of a slightlymodified form of eyelet. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view showing the modified form of eyelet associated with a portion'of the upper of a shoe with a lace positioned therein.

a and b are the adjacent edges of the upper of the boot 0r shoe or other eyeleted material. 0 designates a lace therefor provided with the threading-tags cland e at its ends, as usual, in

the drawings the tag (Z being represented as of the customary rounded form, while the tag a is illustrated as being of the flattened type; but similarly-formed tags may be employed at the ends of the lace.

f designates the eyelet, formed of a single piece of metal finished off in the customary manner and adapted to be applied to and disposed longitudinally along the-adjacent edges of the material to be secured or laced together.

The upper portion of these eyelets are in the form of a rectangular elongated opening g, formed by the sides it and c', disposed parallel to each other and slightly spaced apart. These sides h and 'i are substantially of equal length; but their lower ends merge into and terminate in a looped portion 7', forming a substantially circular opening it, the opening it being an enlarged continuation of the slotted opening 9, as clearly shown.

In the modification illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4:, f, g, h, a, j, and K," designate substan tially the same elements, respectively, heretofore described, the two forms being substantially similar. In this latter construction, however, the side a" is a little longer than the side it, and the terminating loop j is a little farther offset from the main elongated opening g, so that, as shown in Fig. 4:, the fiat -lace will rest wholly within the elongated opening 9 and not partially within the elongated opening and partially within the loop, as shown in Fig. 1.

The operation is clear from the drawings, and it is also obvious that while a flat lace is particularly applicable for use with these forms of eyelets a round lace could also be used with same.

What I claim is 1. As an article of manufacture, an eyelet having an elongated opening terminating at its end in an enlarged opening said elongated opening being of a length greater than the said elongated opening being of a length I diameter of said enlarged opening, substangreater than the diameter of said enlarged tially as described. opening, substantially as described.

2. As an article of manufacture, an eyelet In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my 5 having the upper portion of its sides disposed hand in the presence of two Witnesses.

in parallel juxtaposition and terminating at JOHN A. MORRISON. one end inalooped portion, forming a narrow Witnesses: elongated opening terminating in a slightly- GEORGE G. TURRI,

enlarged substantially cylindrical opening ANTHONY J. OALLINAN. 

